02.05.20 LB PowerPointFEBRUARY 5, 2020
LANDMARKS BOARD MEETING
1.Call to Order
2.Approval of minutes from the January 6, 2020 meeting
3.Public Participation for Non-Public Hearing items
4.Discussion of Landmark Alteration, Demolition Applications issued and pending
1.Statistical Report for January
5.Public Hearings
A.2440 Kohler Dr. –Designation
B.1202 Folsom Ave. –Designation
6.Matters from the Landmarks board, Planning Department and City Attorney
7.Debrief/Calendar Check/Adjournment
STATISTICAL REPORT –JANUARY 2020
Public hearing and consideration of an application to designate the property at
2440 Kohler Dr. as an individual landmark, pursuant to Section 9-11 -5 of the
Boulder Revised Code 1981 (HIS2019-00306).
Owner / Applicant: Don and Alice McDonald
AGENDA ITEM 5A
QUASI-JUDICIAL PUBLIC HEARING PROCEDURE
1.All speaking are sworn in
2.Board members note any ex parte contacts
3.Staff presentation; Board may ask questions of staff
4.Applicant presentation; Board may ask questions of applicant
5.Public hearing opened for citizen comment; the Board may ask questions
6.Applicant response
7.Public hearing closed; Board discussion
8.A motion requires an affirmative vote of at least 3 members to pass. Motions must state
findings, conclusions, and recommendation
9.A record of the hearing is kept by staff
CRITERIA FOR REVIEW
9-11 -5 (c), B.R.C. 1981
Section 9-11 -5(c), B.R.C. 1981, Landmarks Board “shall determine whether designation
conforms with the purposes and standards in Sections 9-11 -1, Legislative Intent, and 9-11 -2,
City Council May Designate Landmarks and Historic Districts.”
BACKGROUND
On Oct. 11, 2019, the property owners submitted a landmark designation application for the
property at 2440 Kohler Dr.
Pursuant to Section 9-11 -5(C) of the Boulder Revised Code, the Landmarks Board must hold a
public hearing between 60 and 120 days. In agreement between the property owner and the
Planning Department, the timing has been waived and the public hearing is scheduled 36 days
after the application was received.
LANDMARKS BOARD OPTIONS
•Recommend designation to the City Council
-City Council Public Hearing Within 100 days (before May 15, 2020)
•Recommend Denial
-Decision subject to 45-day call up period by the City Council.
LOCATION
2440 Kohler Dr.
HISTORY
1961:Donald and Alice McDonald purchased the
property at 2440 Kohler Dr.
1967: A building permit to construct a “new one
family house” was issued to the McDonalds.
1967 to Present:Don and Alice have acted as the
sole owners and residents of the property.
HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE
1. Date of Construction:1967.
2. Association with Persons: The McDonald family.
3. Development of the Community:Postwar
Residential Neighborhoods.
4. Recognition by Authorities:None observed.
PERSONS OF SIGNIFICANCE
Donald and Alice McDonald
Donald and Alice purchased the property in 1961 and a building permit to construct a “new one family house” at 2440 Kohler Dr.
was issued on June 12, 1967. In 1962, just after the McDonald’s had purchased their property in Boulder, Don enrolled in the Air
Force and was stationed in California for three years. After Don completed his service in 1965, the McDonalds moved back to
Boulder and began construction on their new home.
Don worked at the NIST Boulder Labs as a physicist specializing in cryo-electronics for just over thirty years. In the 1970’s, Don
served as the chairman of PLAN-Boulder, working alongside other activists to help protect Boulder’s scenic views and open spaces.
Presently, Don is involved with the Nobel Plaza Project, whose goal is to create a public art installation that will commemorate
Boulder’s own Nobel laureates.
During the feminist movement of the 1970s and 80s, Alice advocated for the equal treatment of men and women in public school
education, a campaign that was spurred by the absence of female authors in her high school daughter’s mandatory reading materials.
Alice also served as a member of Boulder’s Library Commission for seven years, from 1979-1986, during which she and four other
women raised $13 million in funds. The money she helped raise went towards the construction of the Boulder Public Library on
Arapahoe Avenue.
ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE
1. Recognized Period or Style:Modern Prairie.
2. Prominent Architect or Builder: George
Norman Wells.
3. Artistic Merit:High Quality of Construction.
4. Example of the Uncommon:None observed.
5. Indigenous Qualities: None observed.
ENVIRONMENTAL SIGNIFICANCE
1. Site Characteristics: The house at 2440 Kohler Dr. is set
back from the road on top of a hill. Stone retaining walls
contribute to the landscaping in both the front and the rear of the
house. Native trees surround the property and provide refuge
from the street. The house is well integrated into the hillside.
2. Compatibility: The house is settled into the hillside it was
built on and its surroundings are complimentary.
3. Geographic Importance:None observed.
4. Environmental Appropriateness:The house is well
integrated into its site and is suitable for its location.
5. Area Integrity: The property is not located within an
identified potential historic district. The area retains its historic
residential character.
RECOMMENDED LANDMARK BOUNDARY,
FEATURES, & NAME
Staff recommends that the boundary be established to
follow the property lines of the 21,327 sq. ft. lot,
consistent with current and past practices and the
National Register Guidelines for establishing landmark
boundaries.
Staff recommend the property be known as the
McDonald House for its association with Don and
Alice McDonald, whom the house was built for in 1967
and have been the sole owners and careful stewards.
FINDINGS
The Landmarks Board finds, based upon the application and evidence presented, that the proposed designation application is consistent with the purposes and standards of the Historic Preservation Ordinance, in that:
1. The designation of the property will protect, enhance, and perpetuate a property and building reminiscent of a past era and important in local and state history and provide a significant example of architecture from the past.
2. The designation will maintain an appropriate setting and environment and will enhance property values, stabilize the neighborhood, promote tourist trade and interest, and foster knowledge of the city’s living heritage.
3. The designation draws a reasonable balance between private property rights and the public interest in preserving the city’s cultural, historic, and architectural heritage by ensuring that demolition of buildings important to that heritage will be carefully weighed with other alternatives.
4. The property proposed for designation has historical, architectural or aesthetic interest or value.
RECOMMENDED MOTION
The Landmarks Board recommends to the City
Council that it designate the property at 2440
Kohler Dr. as a local historic landmark, to be
known as the McDonald House, finding that it
meets the standards for individual landmark
designation in Sections 9-11 -1 and 9-11 -2,
B.R.C. 1981, and adopt the staff memorandum
dated February 5, 2020, as the findings of the
board.
NEXT STEPS
If the board finds that the proposed designation conforms with Sections 9-11 -1 and 9-11 -2, B.R.C. 1981, it shall
adopt specific findings and conclusions approving (or modifying) and approving the application which will be
forwarded to the City Council for a designation hearing (by ordinance) to be held within 100 days of the Landmark
Board’s decision.
If the board finds the designation is inappropriate, it must notify City Council within 30 days of the hearing date for
call-up of that decision.
Public hearing and consideration of an application to designate the property at
1202 Folsom Ave. as an individual landmark, pursuant to Section 9-11 -5 of the
Boulder Revised Code 1981 (HIS2020-00035).
Owner: Rocky Mountain District Lutheran Church
Applicant: City of Boulder Landmarks Board
AGENDA ITEM 5B
QUASI-JUDICIAL PUBLIC HEARING PROCEDURE
1.All speaking are sworn in
2.Board members note any ex parte contacts
3.Staff presentation; Board may ask questions of staff
4.Applicant presentation; Board may ask questions of applicant
5.Public hearing opened for citizen comment; the Board may ask questions
6.Applicant response
7.Public hearing closed; Board discussion
8.A motion requires an affirmative vote of at least 3 members to pass. Motions must state
findings, conclusions, and recommendation
9.A record of the hearing is kept by staff
CRITERIA FOR REVIEW
9-11 -5 (c), B.R.C. 1981
Section 9-11 -5(c), B.R.C. 1981, Landmarks Board “shall determine whether designation
conforms with the purposes and standards in Sections 9-11 -1, Legislative Intent, and 9-11 -2,
City Council May Designate Landmarks and Historic Districts.”
LANDMARKS BOARD OPTIONS
•Recommend designation to the City Council
-City Council Public Hearing Within 100 days (before May 15, 2020)
•Recommend Denial
-Decision subject to 45-day call up period by the City Council.
BACKGROUND
April 2, 2019: the Planning Department received a demolition permit application to remove the c. 1915 –1950s portion of the
building at 1202 Folsom St., a non-designated building over 50 years old.
April 10, 2019: the Landmark design review committee (Ldrc) referred the application to the Landmarks Board for a public
hearing, finding there was “probable cause” to believe that the building may be eligible for designation as an individual
landmark.
June 5, 2019: the Landmarks Board imposed a stay-of-demolition for a period of up to 180 days in order to seek alternatives to
the proposed removal of the residential portion of the building. (See Attachment 2: Link to Demolition Memo). The 180 day
stay period expired on Oct. 27, 2019.
October 2, 2019: the Landmarks Board scheduled a hearing to consider whether to initiate landmark designation for the
property at 1202 Folsom St.
October 22, 2019: the Landmarks Board voted 4-0 (F. Sheets absent) to initiate landmark designation of the property and
considers both the residential and chapel portions of the building to be significant.
The owner is opposed to landmark designation of the property with the preservation of the residential portion of the building
but has indicated they may support designation of the 1963 chapel.
LOCATION
1202 Folsom Ave.
HISTORY
c. 1920s:The house at 1202 Folsom Ave. is constructed when the
property was part of the Maplecroft Poultry Farm owned by
Herald and Florence Garnick.
1929 –1932: The Garnicks shared ownership of the property
with Max and Clara Bauer. The Bauers lived at the 1202 Folsom
Ave. until 1932.
1938 –1953: Dr. Paul and Virginia Shope jointly owned the
property with the Bauers in 1938 and Dexter and Winifred
Maupin from 1943 until 1953.
1956 –1961: The house is sold to Hugo and Apollonia Berkeley.
1963: The Expressionistic Modern chapel addition is built for the
Rocky Mountain District Lutheran Church after designs by
Ditzen, Royland and Mueller.
HISTORY
.
1963: The Expressionistic
Modern chapel addition is
built for the1963 for the
University Lutheran
Assembly, a congregation
on the University of
Colorado campus.after
designs by Ditzen, Royland
and Mueller.
HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE
1. Date of Construction:1963.
2. Association with Persons or Events: Rocky Mountain
District Lutheran Church.
3. Development of the Community:Modernist Architecture.
4. Recognition by Authorities:Front Range Research,
2000 Modernism Survey, & Landmarks Board.
ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE
1. Recognized Period or Style:Expressionistic Modern.
2. Prominent Architect or Builder: Ditzen, Royland,
Mueller & Associates; Trico Builders Co.
3. Artistic Merit:High standard of construction craft;
art-glass windows; decorative masonry in chapel design.
4. Example of the Uncommon:Expressionistic Design.
5. Indigenous Qualities: None observed.
ENVIRONMENTAL SIGNIFICANCE
1. Site Characteristics:Landscaping is minimal, but a
distinctive circular pavement links the various parts of the
building and connects it to the street.
2. Compatibility: None observed.
3. Geographic Importance:The chapel is located on the
prominent corner of Folsom St. and Colorado Ave., adjacent
to the CU campus and is a readily recognizable landmark in
the surrounding landscape.
4. Environmental Appropriateness:Mixed-Use character.
5. Area Integrity: The character of the area has greatly
changed over the last few decades.
RECOMMENDED MOTION
The Landmarks Board recommends to the City Council that it designate the property
at 1202 Folsom St., as a local historic landmark, to be known as the University
Lutheran Student Center Chapel, finding that it meets the standards for individual
landmark designation in Sections 9-11 -1 and 9-11 -2, B.R.C. 1981, and adopt the
staff memorandum dated February 5, 2020, as the findings of the board, including
the recommendation that the residential portion of the building be recognized as
non-contributing to the landmark.
ALTERNATIVE MOTION -1
The Landmarks Board recommends to the City Council that it designate the property
at 1202 Folsom St., as a local historic landmark, to be known as the University
Lutheran Student Center Chapel, finding that it meets the standards for individual
landmark designation in Sections 9-11 -1 and 9-11 -2, B.R.C. 1981, and adopt the
staff memorandum dated February 5, 2020, as the findings of the board, recognizing
both the chapel and residential portion as historically contributing.
MOTION PASSED 02.05.2019
The Landmarks Board recommends to the City Council that it not designate the
property at 1202 Folsom St., finding that the while the 1963 Lutheran Student
Chapel meets the standards for individual landmark designation in Sections 9-11 -1
and 9-11 -2, B.R.C. 1981, that building is currently not threatened by demolition or
alterations that may damage its historic and/or architectural significance.
RECOMMENDED LANDMARK BOUNDARY,
FEATURES, & NAME
Staff recommends that the boundary be established
to follow the property lines of the 32,992 sq. ft. lot,
consistent with current and past practices and the
National Register Guidelines for establishing
landmark boundaries.
Staff recommend the property be known as the
University Lutheran Student Center Chapel for
its association with the Rocky Mountain District
Lutheran Church.
FINDINGS
The Landmarks Board finds, based upon the application and evidence presented, that the proposed designation application is consistent with the purposes and standards of the Historic Preservation Ordinance, in that:
1. The designation of the property will protect, enhance, and perpetuate a property and building reminiscent of a past era and important in local and state history and provide a significant example of architecture from the past.
2. The designation will maintain an appropriate setting and environment and will enhance property values, stabilize the neighborhood, promote tourist trade and interest, and foster knowledge of the city’s living heritage.
3. The designation draws a reasonable balance between private property rights and the public interest in preserving the city’s cultural, historic, and architectural heritage by ensuring that demolition of buildings important to that heritage will be carefully weighed with other alternatives.
4. The property proposed for designation has historical, architectural or aesthetic interest or value.
NEXT STEPS
If the board finds that the proposed designation conforms with Sections 9-11 -1 and 9-
11 -2, B.R.C. 1981, it shall adopt specific findings and conclusions approving (or
modifying) and approving the application which will be forwarded to the City Council
for a designation hearing (by ordinance) to be held within 100 days of the Landmark
Board’s decision.
If the board finds the designation is inappropriate the decision is final unless called-up
for review by the City Council within 45 days of the board’s decision.
MATTERS
Dushanbe Teahouse
CPI Conference feedback
Memories of Afghanistan 1974 lecture